Deceived
by elle140
Summary: The mind is a wonderfully complex part of our brain. Emily and Derek are taken on a journey through their damaged minds after a car crash. 3-shot
1. Chapter 1

Hello there. I'm glad you've stumbled upon my story and decided to read! I hope that you'll stick with me through this one…I've got a lot planned and it'll be a doozy. I am assuming that it'll be a bit shorter than some of my previous work but who knows? Maybe I'll end up cranking out a thirty chapter story. Probably not but whatever. Enjoy and don't forget to review :)

Also I am aware that I have an unfinished story. But please, bear with me. I just started uni and it's been hectic to say the least! Plus I am sooo unmotivated with it right now. That is how this story spawned. So, maybe its not so bad? Enjoy :)

 _WARNINGS_

This story will be dark. Lots of pain and sadness than I hope to counteract with a bit of humor and humanity. However, you've been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, sadly.

Also, there will be a character death. I won't say when or where but it'll come. Be warned.

 _Set in late season 6_

 _When my mind plays tricks on me I can deal. But when my mind plays tricks on my mind I can not tell what's real._

 _\- Stanley Victor Paskavich_

Forcing her eyelids to peel apart, she took in her surroundings through narrowed eyes. The steady pitter patter of the rain on the shattered windshield broke through her clouded mind. Why was the windshield shattered? She wracked her brain for the answer, ultimately coming up empty. Wincing at the sudden sharp pain in her head, she brought her hand up to her forehead and instantly felt the warm, sticky liquid on the tips of her fingertips. She stared at the crimson substance that slowly dripped down her fingers. Bleeding, she must be bleeding. She struggled to put the pieces together. Why was she bleeding? Why was she in a damaged car?

Then, it hit her.

 _"_ _You think you're so funny, big guy." Emily said, a small smile slipping onto her face._

 _He forged a look of shock and hurt. "What, you think I'm lyin'?"_

 _She scoffed and took a sip of her iced latte. "C'mon. You really expect me to believe you bench press four hundred-fifteen?"_

 _His bright brown eyes glanced at hers, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Gotta keep up my reputation, ya know Princess? The chicks dig it."_

 _She nearly spit the cold drink all over the windshield, barely able to swallow it before allowing herself to laugh. "You've gotta be kidding me. What ladies?"_

 _"_ _Ohhh," his smirk get wider and he used one hand to point at her, waving the finger up and down. "you're jealous."_

 _"_ _Ha! Don't get your hopes up, buddy."_

 _Derek brought his hand up to his cheek and lightly slapped his cheek as if she had struck him herself. "Ow. Now that hur—"_

 _Just before he finished his sentence, Emily saw the truck barreling towards them. Unable to force the scream that seemed to be lodged in her throat, her eyes widened and she gripped the armrest._

 _Then, everything went black._

"De…Derek…" She said behind closed lids. A sudden wave of nausea and drowsiness washed over her, but she had to see him. Blindly, she reached her trembling hand out to the drivers side. She felt his firm bicep and relief washed over her. He was there. Briefly, she opened her eyes and saw the back of Derek's head. His face was turned away from her but from what she gathered, even in her current state, he was okay.

The darkness continued snaking its way into her vision until it completely overpowered her and forced her into the dark oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

SEE CHAPTER 1 for warnings, disclaimer and beginning of this story.

 _Welcome back. I'm glad you've decided to stick with me. Anyway, enjoy._

She awoke to Derek gently shaking her shoulder.

"Prentiss, we gotta go." He said impatiently, grabbing her arms and yanked her up to her feet. She leaned forward, supporting herself by placing one hand on her knee and squeezed her eyes shut. Once she fought off the spell of nausea and dizziness, she looked back up at Derek.

"Look," He said, pointing back to the SUV that was now in flames despite the rainfall. "Let's go."

"Oh shit." Was all she mumbled before Derek literally pulled her into the woods and away from the burning SUV.

"Are you sure we should wander away from the crash? They'll look for us there." She quipped once they slowed down and Derek was satisfied with their distance from the flaming car.

"Yeah. We don't wanna be anywhere near that thing when it blows."

His answer was enough for her and they continued on in silence, only connected by the firm hand hold they held on one another. They continued their trudge through the underbrush, getting soaked in the rain as the minutes soon turned to hours. Emily's dark hair stuck to her neck and face while she squinted against the droplets of water and looked at the sky. Although it was a dark, ominous grey, she could tell the sun was beginning to go down.

"Derek, shouldn't we try and get back to the road?" she panted, the hike proving to be harder than she'd anticipated, "it'll be easier to see us."

The darker man paused in his tracks, taking a moment to take in his surroundings. "That's probably a good idea. This way," he intertwined their fingers again and began slugging through the dirt which was now forming a sticky, thick mud. Emily slipped on a rock that was covered by the mud.

Derek quickly stopped and turned to help her up. "You okay?" He asked, a hint of panic and concern behind his words.

"I'm fine, just sore," she complained.

"Trucks must love you," he teased, "two crashes in a three years."

"Very funny." She said as she tried to brush the mud off her blouse, giving up with a sigh when the attempt seemed futile.

Then, Derek's smile fell. "Emily, you're bleeding." He grabbed her arm to inspect the dark red stain on the shoulder of her shirt.

"It's probably just a cut from the glass," she tried to assure him but he pulled the fabric down so he could get a better look. "C'mon, let's just keep moving."

He couldn't muffle the gasp that escaped his lips when his eyes landed on the gash. It was at least and inch wide and went from her collar bone down to the end of her shoulder. "That's not a cut, Em."

She let out a nervous laugh. "Well, at least it's not worse?"

He glared up at her. "Not funny."

His features softened and the pulled the shirt back over the cut. "Let's just keep moving, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Mr Woodsman."

…

"Have you heard from Prentiss or Morgan?" Hotch asked.

"Not yet," Rossi said while sifting through their latest victim's file, "I'm sure they'll call when they're on their way back." When he looked up and saw Aaron's brows furrowed and his narrowed eyes he continued. "The house was almost three hours away, right?"

Hotch nodded.

"Then don't worry just yet. They've only been gone for four."

Hotch crossed his arms in front of his chest. Something in the pit of his stomach told him something was off. He ignored Dave's optimistic opinion and dialed Garcia.

"Howdy Bossman, what can I do for you on this fine evening."

"Can you track Prentiss' cell?"

"I sure can!" She said, quickly typing away until she realized what he had asked. "Wait. Why do you want me to track her phone? Has something happened? Sir, should I fly out!?"

Dave merely smiled at the technical analysts rapid fire questions and her concern for their wellbeing. They all knew how big of a tole it took on her when they went into the field knowing something awful could happen at any moment.

"Garcia, it's probably nothing. I'm just being cautious." He responded.

From the other end he could hear her calming down. "All due respect, sir, don't scare me like that! You know my heart can hardly handle you guys going out all the time but—"

"Penelope, the traces." Dave said with a smirk, attempting to get the analyst's focus back.

"Oh, right," she began typing again, eyes scanning over the images, "let's see…their last location was eighty-three miles off of I-264, exit twelve."

"Last known?" Hotch questioned, the pit in his stomach growing bigger.

"There is a pretty long stretch of road that has no service," she informed them, "why do these people like to live in such isolation that even cell towers can't reach them?"

"Who knows. It can be peaceful out there." Dave said.

Penelope scoffed. "Because you, Mr Mansion knows what that is like."

"I'll have you know, I did in fact go camping as a child." He retorted.

"Well, what a surprise!" She chirped. "Anything else I can do for you two fine fellas?"

Dave watched as a small, rare smile appeared on the normally stoic unit chief. "That's it, Garcia. Thanks."

The phone clicked off and Hotch put his cell back into his pocket. Dave easily read the man's face, a benefit of having worked with him for years. "You're still worried?"

"I'll be happy once everyone is back under this roof."

…

Once the rain finally came to a stop, the sun was beginning it's decent from the sky.

"Derek, we should make a fire."

"How are we going to do that if everything is wet?"

Shit. She hadn't even put those two pieces together. There was no way anything would light in this weather.

"Let's just keep moving," he said, "I think we're close to the road."

"You said that hours ago." She mumbled but kept walking beside him. Out of the corner of her eye, a crimson red caught her eye. She turned her head to take a closer look and gasped.

"Derek, your stomach!"

He kept walking and she then noticed the slight limp in his step. "Stop for a second so I can look."

Emily began pulling up his shirt but his hands slapped hers away. "Just let it go! We need to keep moving!" He yelled, then regretted it as soon as he saw her wide, shocked eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I just want to get the hell outta here."

Composing herself, Emily spoke. "I do too, but maybe we should take a break."

He stopped walking, his face twisted in thought. "Fine. Just for a little."

"Good," she said, bending her arm to cover a rattling cough that radiated out of her chest, "we both could use it."

The pair picked out a small opening and eased down to a seated position against a large tree trunk. Both exhaling sharply has they settled on the ground, Emily lifted up Derek's shirt. She shot him a knowing glance when he opened his mouth to protest and he immediately shut it.

"Jesus, Derek."

Emily's eyes inspected the deep wound. He had a gaping hole which thick, red blood was oozing out of. She assumed he'd been punctured with something, maybe glass or his glock, during the crash.

"That bad?"

"We're going to be fine." She said and leaned back against the tree. Whether it comforted him or not, she had no idea.

…

The clock on the wall read just past seven-thirty and Hotch couldn't help but feel the anxiety rise over his two agents. JJ and Reid had returned from the diner where one of their victims worked nearly two hours ago and they were still waiting to hear back from Morgan and Prentiss. They all tried to ease Aaron's worries, saying they probably got stuck in traffic, or maybe the witness interview too longer than expected. But now, he could see the masks of worry etched on each of their faces every time they glanced down at their watches with a scowl.

Hotch's cell rang and everyone's head shot up and looked at him.

"Garcia?"

"Hotch, I couldn't help it, I checked their location again and it hasn't moved," she said in a remarkably rapid speed, "I thought maybe they got stuck in traffic, but what road that far away from civilization has traffic? I think something is wrong, sir. I—"

"Penelope, slow down," Hotch coaxed, "send me the location."

"Already done," he could hear her tapping her pen against the table, a nervous tick the team had picked up on shortly after she joined the team, "just bring them home."

…

"Der…" Emily said breathlessly, her eyes closed as she slumped against the tree, "Derek."

"Yeah?"

"I'm…I'm sorry I never told you about Doyle." She said, her voice cracking.

"You don't…need…to apologize, Em."

A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. They'd decided to take a break hours ago. How many, neither of them could remember, but they'd been sitting on the damp ground for way too long. For some reason unknown to her, Emily felt the sudden need to tell him what had happened with Doyle. Specifically, the brand.

"He…he branded…me," she said, wincing as pain shot from her shoulder down her arm, which was accompanied by a rather intense coughing fit, "my chest."

Derek was able to sit up and face her, allowing her to see his moist eyes. "Em…I'm…" He let the words die their own death. She knew he didn't know what to say at the sudden revelation, but she could feel his sorrow.

"It's okay…I walked into…it."

"C'mere…" He said, managing to raise him arm and drape it around her shoulders, weakly pulling her closer to him.

The two sat like that until the darkness once again penetrated their senses and pulled them into unconsciousness.

 **Here you have it. I have one more chapter left...I'm planning on leaving it as three chapters, but if I get enough of a push I may write more. Who knows. It's up to you guys. Anyway, hope you like it. Pease do leave a review. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

 _SEE CHAPTER 1 for warnings, disclaimer and beginning of this story._

 _This chapter will be dark and may trigger some. Please go back and read the warnings I put in the first chapter._

 _…_

She could hear voice trying to break through the fog in her brain, they sounded familiar but she couldn't place names.

"Oh god…Emily?"

That one was definitely a girl. Her brain was wracking her memory for the voice…the voice sounded so familiar. Then, her brain found a few pieces; blonde hair, gentle, motherly. But no name.

She flinched when she felt something touch her face and then her neck, still unable to open her eyes.

"She's alive! Get the medic!" The voice hollered, much too loud for Emily's throbbing head. Another stroke to the cheek startled her. "It's JJ, Em, I need you to wake up."

JJ…she struggled to put the name with a face…until…of course! JJ, her blonde best friend, mother to Henry. She decided if JJ wanted her awake so bad she could at least give her that. So, she worked hard to pry open her eyelids that seemed to be glued shut at the moment.

"God, she's burning up." There was that voice again.

Finally, she won. She opened her eyes a sliver and found a pair of bright blue eyes, filled with sadness and worry, staring at her. A smile quickly appeared on her face.

"Good, now stay with us, okay?"

Us? She shifted her gaze around JJ and saw two men, which her brain notified her to be Hotch and Rossi. Hotch stood with his arms crossed, a deep worry-filled scowl on his face. Rossi was crouched a few feet behind JJ and plastered a soft smile onto his face.

"Hey Kiddo. Looks like you've got a nasty cut, huh?"

Her shoulder. Now that he mentioned it, her shoulder did ache. But what happened to it?

She nodded lazily, a lopsided smile spreading across her features. She could hear them talking but it was getting incredibly difficult to hear what they were saying. Her eyelids started fluttering and then JJ was back in her face, yelling at her to stay with her, to keep her eyes open. But she just couldn't. The depths of darkness were calling her back down.

 _Fire. Explosion. Pain. Darkness. Walking. Derek._

 _Derek!_

"Derek!" She cried, attempting to sit up, but found herself strapped to a bed. A moving bed, at that. The lights were insanely bright and she could hear sirens. "Derek, where…where is he?"

JJ sat forwards from the bench she was sitting on next to her injured friend, being the one chosen to ride along with her in the ambulance. The ride had been relatively calm until now. The medics had arrived five minutes after Emily lost consciousness and inserted an IV and placed an oxygen cannula.

"Shh…Emily, you need to calm down," JJ cried, her attempts to calm her panicking friend were useless.

"Derek! He…he was hurt, you need to find him. He was hurt!" She cried.

"He's in the ambulance next to us, okay? He's fine."

Relief flooded into her veins. "He is?"

The blonde nodded with watery eyes.

With the knowledge that her partner was okay, she allowed herself to slip back into the darkness.

…

 _"_ _We have to tell her."_

 _"_ _She's not ready, she needs more time."_

 _"_ _It's been two weeks! She deserves to know."_

Emily Prentiss had never felt so incredibly horrendous in her entire life. She'd experienced her fair share of physical pain; broken arm at ten, Italy, Cyrus, car crash, Doyle. If she wanted to name every time she'd experienced some degree of pain, it would fill up a novel. She was not a stranger to pain. But this, god, this was worse. Her chest felt like it was on fire and with every breath the burning intensified. With an unimaginable amount of effort, she pried open her eyes. Across from her, JJ, Rossi, Reid and Hotch were all standing, arms folded across their chests, talking to a woman in a white coat.

Before she could catch it, a small whimper escaped her parched lips, instantly grabbing the attention of the profilers and doctor.

"Emily," JJ said breathlessly. "you're awake."

Her eyes moved lazily around the room, taking in the bright colors of the array of flowers and cards set up on every available surface. Penelope, she concluded, was responsible. She blinked slowly, the bright light causing her eyes to take a few moments to adjust. "How long?"

"Two weeks." Hotch said. "You've been in and out of consciousness the whole time."

She closed her eyes, swallowed, and reopened her eyes. She scanned the room, looking for something in particular.

"Where's Morgan?"

She tried to connect her eyes with _someone_ but they all seemed to actively avoid it. JJ simply lowered her eyes, focusing on the stray strands from the white blanket. Reid chewed on his nails, turned slightly away from her. Hotch simply hung his head low while Rossi was the only one who gave her a gentle smile.

Now she was concerned. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and worry. Why wouldn't they say anything? "Where is he?" She repeated, stronger and bolder than before.

JJ took a deep inhale, grasping Emily's hand in hers before moving her eyes up to meet the brunettes.

"Emily…" She said, trailing off while she searched for the right words, "Derek didn't…he didn't make it."

Her heart stopped. That could not be possible. She walked through the woods with him for days, just the two of them. There had to be a mistake.

"That's… that's not possible. He was with me the…whole time. He was right next to me!"

JJ's face was etched with confusion. "Em, he never made it out of the car."

Emily's expression was one of complete horror and shock. She looked around at her friends, pleading with them to tell her this was some sick prank. An insanely cruel one at that, but a joke nonetheless. Because she didn't think she could survive this loss.

"Emily, we're so sorry." Rossi added. "But he's gone."

She shook her head adamantly. "No. No, that's not true. It's not possible! He pulled me out of the car—"

Then, as she looked around at her friends, she saw the evidence written all over their faces. The deep, purple bags of exhaustion under their eyes. The blood-shot eyes, evident of tears. Their almost hollow cheeks. But most of all, the pain buried in their eyes.

Then, tears were sliding down her cheeks. Unconsolable sobs wracked her body as the realization hit.

 _She pulled herself out of the car._

 _She walked through the woods for days. Alone._

 _She slumped against a tree._

 _He was still in the car. Miles back._

 _He was dead._

The pain that hit here was more forceful and violent than the crash itself. She'd never felt such unimaginable agony in her entire life. Her partner, best friend, was gone. The tears fell violently from her eyes. She didn't care that she was in front of her team. Nothing mattered anymore.

Because _he_ was gone.

 _There it is! I hope it wasn't too dark and sad...I think by now you guys know that my writing style. Dark and twisty._

 _Anyway, I'm working on a one shot that I hope to have up soon. I'm also still trucking away with His Revenge. However, the reviews and readings for it seemed to have dropped so I'm not sure what happened. We'll see._


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